Replace the ageing SBIRS satellites with ones that can see dimmer, faster missiles, including hypersonic weapons, and are harder for an adversary to blind or attack.
First GEO satellite built, waiting on Vulcan, grounded for military flights since Feb 2026. Polar sats: 2028.
Updated 26 Mar 2026Checked 11 Oct0 updates this week
A burning rocket engine glows brightly in infrared. Sensors staring at Earth from orbit spot that heat soon after launch and track its path.
Geostationary satellites orbit once a day, so each hangs over one spot and can watch about a third of the globe nonstop.
Polar-orbit satellites see the high north that geostationary ones view only at a grazing angle, which matters for missiles flying over the pole.
| Spec | Next-Gen OPIR |
|---|---|
| Satellites planned | 2 GEO + 2 polarR (reported) |
| GEO altitude | about 22,000 milesR (reported) |
| Lockheed GEO contracts | $2.9B (2018) + up to $4.9B (2021)R (reported) |
| Northrop polar contract | $4.2B (cumulative, Oct 2024)R (reported) |
| GEO satellite bus | Lockheed Martin LM 2100R (reported) |
R reported by the company
US Space Force
Military spaceflight, missile defense, satellite operations
The US Space Force is the military service branch that organizes, trains, and equips space forces. It develops and operates satellite systems, rockets, and space defense capabilities, including the Golden Dome space-based interceptor program for midcourse missile defense.
